It’s time for my first half of October book review! I am sharing what I read in October so far, although I am skipping a few (one) 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Wherever The Wind Takes Us
Author: Kelly Harms
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union, 10/18/22
Source: PR for author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
After Becca divorces her husband of 22 years, the only thing she is left with is his super fancy sailboat. The boat is worth a lot and a buyer is found – but Becca has to get the boat from Maine to Miami. She enlists her 21 year old daughter Liv to help her get it there. I expected this to lead to some mother daughter bonding, and it somewhat did, until Becca ends up continuing her journey with someone else – Grant, an Irish sailing coach who is 16 years younger than Becca but who she finds very attractive.
“Twenty-two years of marriage, and all Becca Larkin’s divorce settlement includes is a live-aboard sailboat and a huge helping of heartache. So when normally cautious Becca proposes a girls’ trip with her daughter, Liv, boating from Maine to a ready buyer for the boat in Miami, it seems like a recipe for a fun summer and a fresh start. After all, how hard can this sailing thing be? Enter Grant Murphy, a stunning Irish sailing coach that Liv can barely stand―and Becca can’t seem to resist. Grant’s too young for Becca, but he’s insightful and kind, and his passion for sailing is contagious. Through his eyes, Becca sees for the first time in years a future she might want to navigate toward. There are seventeen hundred miles between Maine and Miami, but the journey Becca’s on can’t be charted on any map. And the only way to get there is to hoist the sails and throw caution to the wind.”
I found this a cute and fun read about starting over and finding yourself as an adult. It reminded me a bit of Float Plan!
Title: The Other Side of Night
Author: Adam Hamdy
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Atria, 10/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
The publisher encouraged readers to go into this book blind, though I don’t think the synopsis gives much away. This book is about David, a writer who is telling the story about his separation from his son, Elliot. It is also about Harriet, a police officer who has been suspended. She finds a note in a book and sets out to find answers. This leads her to Ben, who she considers the love of her life.
“The Other Side of Night begins with a man named David Asha writing about his biggest regret: his sudden separation from his son, Elliot. In his grief, David tells a story. Next, we step into the life of Harriet Kealty, a police officer trying to clear her name after a lapse of judgment. She discovers a curious inscription in a secondhand book—a plea: Help me, he’s trying to kill me. Who wrote this note? Who is ‘he’? This note leads Harri to David Asha, who was last seen stepping off a cliff. Police suspect he couldn’t cope after his wife’s sudden death. Still, why would this man jump and leave behind his young son? Quickly, Harri’s attention zeroes in on a person she knows all too well. Ben Elmys: once the love of her life. A surrogate father to Elliot Asha and trusted friend to the Ashas. Ben may also be a murderer.?”
I found the pace of the story to be a bit slow. I suspected part of what was happening and part was a surprise. It seemed to have some holes that left me confused. Overall, it wasn’t really a book for me, though many others have loved it!
Title: From Bad To Cursed
Author: Lana Harper
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 5/17/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed reading the first book in this series last October so when I received this one, I put it aside to save for the fall. As it turns out, From Bad To Cursed takes place in the spring! However, the witchy vibes and returning to the Thistle Grove setting was appealing for me to read now anyway. This book is about Issa, who is a witch who performs magic involving the dead. What she really wants is to be a fashion designer. When Holly Thorn is hit with a curse, Issa has to team up with her old enemy Rowan to find out where the curse came from.
“Wild child Isidora Avramov is a thrill chaser, adept demon summoner, and—despite the whole sexy-evil-sorceress vibe—also a cuddly animal lover. When she’s not designing costumes and new storylines for the Arcane Emporium’s haunted house, Issa’s nursing a secret, conflicted dream of ditching her family’s witchy business to become an indie fashion designer in her own right. But when someone starts sabotaging the celebrations leading up to this year’s Beltane festival with dark, dangerous magic, a member of the rival Thorn family gets badly hurt—throwing immediate suspicion on the Avramovs. To clear the Avramov name and step up for her family when they need her the most, Issa agrees to serve as a co-investigator, helping none other than Rowan Thorn get to the bottom of things. Rowan is the very definition of lawful good, so tragically noble and by-the-book he makes Issa’s teeth hurt. In accordance with their families’ complicated history, he and Issa have been archenemies for years and have grown to heartily loathe each other. But as the unlikely duo follow a perplexing trail of clues to a stunning conclusion, Issa and Rowan discover how little they really know each other… and stumble upon a maddening attraction that becomes harder to ignore by the day.”
I thought this was a fun story with a mystery element as well as the romance and it kept me entertained.
Title: Where You’ve Got To Be
Author: Caroline Gertler
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 9/13/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This middle grade book takes place over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so of course that’s when I read it. I really enjoyed the Jewish representation in this one. It is about Nolie, whose best friend has started treating her like an improvement project and whose slightly older sister is starring in the Nutcracker, leaving Nolie to wonder what her passion is.
“Nolie’s sister, Linden, may be only fourteen months older than she is, but suddenly that feels longer than it ever has before. Linden is growing up. She cuts short their Cousins Week at Grandma’s beach cottage to focus on excelling in her ballet auditions, and she throws away the seashell necklace Grandma gave each of them—though Nolie secretly saves it. Even Nolie’s best friend, Jessa, is suddenly trying to act older and cooler, and she wants Nolie to be someone different, too. With everything and everyone changing around her, Nolie starts to feel adrift. Should she be changing, too? Who does she want to be? One impulsive decision leads to another and another . . . until Nolie has a secret collection of things that don’t belong to her. Now, Nolie must face the fact that she may have ended up on the wrong path so she can start to find her way back.”
I loved the New York City setting and Nolie’s wonderful grandmother. I liked the discussion of antisemitism and the way that Nolie stood up for herself with Jessa. I felt that Nolie was definitely dealing with anxiety and possibly some OCD, and Linden seemed to have anxiety as well. I wish that anxiety and help for the girls was further addressed in the book.
Title: Just Like The Other Girls
Author: Clare Douglas
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 1/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had this waiting on my shelf and it turns out it was the first book I received this year, so I was happy to finally check it off as read! This was a solid thriller that kept me interested. It had a nice variety of characters and suspects to consider that may have killed the previous companions of Elspeth, an older lady who continuously hired young women to help her get around.
“She thought she was safe. So did the others . . .At loose ends after the devastating death of her mother, Una Richardson responds to an advertisement for a ladies’ companion, a position that leads her into the wealthy, secluded world of Mrs. Elspeth McKenzie. But Elspeth’s home isn’t the comforting haven it seems. Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una’s presence. More disturbing is evidence suggesting two girls lived here before her. What happened to the young women? Why won’t the McKenzies talk about them? What are they hiding? As the walls begin to close in around her, Una fears she’ll end up just like the other girls . . .”
I thought the reveal was a little strange, but it worked in its own way! I would definitely read more books by this author.
Title: Built To Last
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin, 10/18/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a cute rom com about child actor co-stars who reunite to film a home renovation show. It was probably the 10th second chance romance that I’ve read recently!
“Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like the rough spots on the vintage furniture she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a widely documented meltdown and huge public break up with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs―the one who got away. Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but get on board. There’s something in it for everyone―almost. Cameron wants to set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And a jealous Lyle can’t help but try to get in the way. But for his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could ever dream of, nothing is getting in the way of their second chance at love.”
This was a quick and light read and I liked well enough!
Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 8/23/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sounded good
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches gives off The House In The Cerulean Sea vibes, with witches and much more cursing. It also reminded me a bit of Nothing To See Here. Mika is a lonely witch who is recruited to provide witchy education to three young witches living together. The group of adults who are raising the children become a found family for Mika, and the curmudgeonly Jamie becomes even more.
“As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos ‘pretending’ to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….”
This was a sweet book and I may have even given it more than 4 stars if my concentration hadn’t been so off lately! I enjoyed the audio and the diversity of the characters as well as the magic in the story!
Title: Ancestor Approved
Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith (editor)
Genre: Middle Grade Short Stories
Publisher: Heartdrum, 2/9/21
Source: Storygram Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I received this book for a book tour but when it was late in arriving I didn’t get a chance to read it. I picked it up this month in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a collection of short stories that take place around a Powwow. The stories are interconnected, as are the people featured in them.
“Native families from Nations across the continent gather at the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In a high school gym full of color and song, people dance, sell beadwork and books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. Young protagonists will meet relatives from faraway, mysterious strangers, and sometimes one another (plus one scrappy rez dog). They are the heroes of their own stories.”
I enjoyed learning about the customs of the various Native and First Nations groups featured in this book. It definitely made me want to attend a Powwow and to continue to learn more about these communities and their traditions!
Title: Killer Content
Author: Olivia Blacke
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Berkley, 2/2/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was another book I had waiting on my shelf and that I finally picked up this month. I thought this was a cute cozy mystery about Odessa, who moves to Brooklyn and works at a bookstore cafe and bar. One of her coworkers dies and she decides to figure out what happened to her.
“Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she’s scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time. But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple’s flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany’s death feels right to Odessa–neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace. Determined to prove there’s a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany’s killer before they take Odessa offline for good?”
This is the first of a series and now I want to read more about Odessa and her crime solving as well as her adventures with the book shop dog!
Title: Old Country
Author: Matt Query & Harrison Query
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 7/26/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
I received this book out of the blue and I thought I would try it out in the fall, since it is supposedly of the horror genre. To be honest, it wasn’t that scary. It was more just strange. It is about Henry and Sasha who move onto land that is supposedly already inhabited by a spirit who manifests itself in various ways throughout the year. I didn’t really understand the point of the spirit or the ways that it manifested itself!
“It’s the house of their dreams. Former Marine Harry and his wife Sasha have packed up their life, their golden retriever Dash, and fled the corporate rat race behind to live off the land in rural Idaho. Their breathtaking new home sits on top of more than forty acres of meadow and aspen trees in the Teton Valley. Even if their friends and family think it’s a strange choice for an up-and-coming pair of urban professionals, Harry and Sasha couldn’t be happier about the future they’re building, all by their lonesome. That is, until their nearest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, come bearing more than housewarming gifts. Dan and Lucy warn Harry and Sasha of a malevolent spirit that lives in the valley, one which, with every season, will haunt them in fresh, evermore diabolical ways. At first, it seems like an old wives tale. But when spring arrives, so does the first evil manifestation, challenging everything Harry and Sasha thought they knew about the world. As each season passes, the spirit grows stronger, the land more sinister, and each encounter more dangerous. Will Harry and Sasha learn the true meaning of a forever home before it’s too late?”
I thought it was pretty obvious that this book was written by two white men. The writing wasn’t all that great and the constant use of curse words was a little off putting. Henry is a former marine who owns lots of guns and hunts regularly. Sasha had basically no personality other than her support and love for her husband. The best character in the book was Dash, the dog!
There you have it – 10 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 9 were print and 1 was audio. 8 were adult books and 2 were Middle Grade. Genres included rom com, mystery, thriller, “horror,” and contemporary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
